Floor-clamp.



4"YPLooR 0Il.\.MP.y f I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1904.`

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P NTBD JA,N;31,1905.

y VJ. y 13'10" J1." 'J7/42526 79.; Y 20! UNITED STATES Patented January31, 1905.

rPATENT OFFICE.

ALANsoN R. `svvETT AND FRANK A. s1ssoN,'oF AINsWoRTH, NEBRASKA.

FLOOR-CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,312, dated January31, 1905.

i Application filed June 8, 1904. Serial No. 211,712.

To all whom, it 11i/fry concer-ro: n

Be it known that we, ALANsoN R. SWETT and FRANK A. SIssoN, citizens oftheUnited States, residing atAinsworth, in the county of Brown and Stateof Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Floor-Clamp, lof which thefol# lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to implements employed for forcibly pressing thecontiguous edges of flooring, sheathing, and similarmaterial closelytogether in securing the samevto the substructure, and has for itsobjectto produce a simply-constructed and efiicient device of this charactervwhich may be employed upon the joist when the material'is to beattached directly to the joist or adapted with equal facility foroperation upon the material resting upona level subfoundation. y

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novelfeatures ofconstruction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which corresponding parts aredenoted by like designating characters,is illustrated the preferredy form of the embodiment of the inventioncapable of carrying the same into practical operation, it beingunderstood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, asvarious changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of theparts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of theinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages,

and the right istherefore reserved of making all the changes and'modifications which fairly fall within the scope of the invention andthe claims made therefor. i

In the drawings thus employed, Figure lis a longitudinal sectionalelevation of a floorclamp constructed in accordance with the invention.Fig. 2 is a plan View of. the same.

- Fig. Sis a transverse section on the-line 3 3 of ,"headfl() oi' anysuitablematerial, such as wood or metal or a combination of wood andmetal, and adapted for resting upon the floor joist-(represented at 11)and provided with longitudinal guide-ribs 12 13 for engaging the n sidesof the joist when the device is employed upon the iiooring (representedat 14) to berattached directly to the joist.

, 4 When'the device is employed upon iiooring attached-to a levelsubfoundation, as when the flooring is laid over sheathingthe ribs 12 13will rest uponthe foundation.

' The bottom of the frame 1() and likewise theA ribs 12 13 are providedwith inclined spurs 15 to enter the joist or subfoundation, according asto which -it rests upon, to cause'the frame to grip the part'upon whichit rests and lprevent slipping'upon the same whe'nthe .plained f Mountedfor movement longitudinally of I the frame 10 and near its lower side isa pressure-bar 16, projecting from one end of the frame and terminatingin head 17, having a groove for engaging the tongue 18 on the` flooring14. l

An operating-lever 19 is pivoted at 2O in the frame 10 and connected atits lower end by a link 21to the inner end of the bar 16, The bar 16issupported in position by a guideeplate 22, detachably connected to theframe 10."

Attached to the frame l0 is a curved notched segment 23, and the lever19 is provided with means, Vsuch as a resilient pawl 24, for engagingthe notches to maintain the lever at any p desired point.

i gage the tongue on the flooring 14, with the frame 1() resting uponthe joist, and when reversed in position the groove in the head willengage the tongue on the flooring with the ribs resting upon the'sheathing or subfoundation level with the under surface of the fiooring.

By merely reversing the position of the head 17 the device may beadapted Jfor use upon the joist or upon a subfloor under the flooring tobe clamped. The sam.eresult may be accomplished by forming the pressure-bar with the head 17 set to one side of its center in the same manneras shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and reversing the pressure-bar bodily when thedevice is to be changed, as above noted; but the results would be thesame and the manner of producing the desired results substantially thesame.

Pivoted to the frame 10 at opposite sides and supported by hangers 30 31are bars 26 27 for extension in advance of the frame, these bars fittingunder the Hoor on opposite sides of the joist and serving to preventdisplacement of the clamping-head and at the same time aiord a supportfor the clamp asa whole and prevent its movement from the approximatelyvertical operating position. When not required, the bars may be foldedback to inoperative position.

When the device is employed for assisting in attaching sheathing orceiling material, a bar 28 is mounted to swing upon the frame at oneside and with a set-screw 29 in one end for engaging the studding orjoist to enable the frame to be temporarily and adjustably connected invertical or reversed position. By this simple arrangement it will beobvious that a strong leverage force may be applied against the edge ofthe flooring 14 to force it into close engagement with the next memberand any .curves or irregularity in the same may be easily corrected.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In afloor-clamp, a pressure-bar, means for operating the same, and adetachable clamping-head having a grooved face engaging the tonguedstrips of flooring, said clamping-head being reversible to permit theadjustment ol the device to different horizontal planes.

2. A Hoor-clamp adjustable to diiferent horizontal planes, and havingmeans for engaging a joist, and a detachable and reversibleclamping-head adjustable to positions correspomlinj.;` to the operativeposition of the Hoor-clamp.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame having spacedlongitudinal ribs for engaging the sides of the joist and with inclinedspurs for engaging the joist and with inclined spurs in said ribs forengaging a level surface when the frame is placed thereon, apressure-bar slidably disposed in said frame and having` a head forengaging the flooring and reversible in the frame, a lever pivoted insaid frame and a link between said lever and pressure-bar.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame for resting on the joistand having inclined spurs for engaging the same, a pressure-bar slidablydisposed in said frame adjacent to the joist and having a head Jforengaging the iiooring to be clamped,a lever pivoted in said frame, andconnected for operating said pressure-bar, and holding members movablyconnected to said frame for projection beneath the liooring.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame for resting on the joistand having inclined spurs for engaging the same, a pressure-bar slidablydisposed in said frame adjacent to the joist and having a head forengaging the Hooring to be clamped, a lever pivoted in said frame, andconnected to said pressure-bar. holding guide members movably connectedto said frame for projection beneath the iiooring, and foldablerearwardly of the frame when not in use, and stops for limiting themovement in one direction.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own wehave hereto aixcdour signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALANSON R. Sl/VETI. FRANK A. SISSON.

Witnesses:

BYRON B. MAsTIoK, FRED-E. MAsTIoK.

